ABSTRACT
Under the dynasties of Omri and Jehu, the Northern Kingdom took the leading part in Israel; even to the Judæan Amos it was Israel par excellence. In many respects the influence of Ephraim upon Judah was similar to that of England upon Scotland before the union of the crowns, but with the important difference that after the accession of Omri the two Hebrew kingdoms were seldom involved in hostilities. From the overthrow of Athaliah to the accession of Ahaz and the acceptance by him of the position of an Assyrian vassal is something more than a century. The material prosperity of Ephraim in the last gen- eration of the house of Jehu had its counterpart, as we have already seen, in the condition of Judah under Uzziah. The period of Isaiah's ministry falls into three parts:—the time previous to the Syro-Ephraitic war, the troubles under the reign of Ahaz, and the time of Assyrian suzerainty.
